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With mango season here it was inevitable that I head down to Little India (Toronto) to look for the Alphonso mangoes. Alphonso mangoes are considered by many to be the best variety of mango with regards to sweetness and flavour. Here in Canada the alphonso mangoes are imported directly from India and thus they are a just a little bit expensive. Despite the expense I like to indulge on them while they are in season as they are really good. I was in luck! They had the alphonso mangoes in at both Kohinoor Foods and Cash and Carry and I picked up a case. On my long tram ride back I was thinking about how I was going to enjoy them.
Other than just snacking on them fresh one of the top things on my list to try was a mango shrikhand. A shrikhand is and Indian dessert made by mixing thick and creamy strained yogurt with sugar, cardamom and saffron. From there you can add other things like mangoes. For a mango shrikhand you commonly add mango pulp but for my first mango shrikhand I decided to just and some freshly chopped alphonso mangoes so that I could enjoy the mangoes more. The mango shrikhand was easy to make, though you do have to wait a while for the yogurt to strain. The alphonso mango shrikhand was amazing! The yogurt was nice and thick and creamy and sweet and the cardamom and saffron flavours worked really well in it. I also added some chopped pistachios for a bit of colour and for a contrasting texture.

I enjoyed the mango shrikand so much that I have already made several of them this week. For the second one that I coated the mango pieces in brown sugar and caramelized them in a pan before adding them to the shrikhand. The warm caramelized mango was so good! For the third mango shrikhand, I made the one with the mango pulp mixed into the yogurt and it definitely enhanced the overall mango flavour. In the end I think that my favorite was the first one as I got to fully enjoy both the wonderful fresh alphonso mangoes and the cardamom and saffron strained yogurt.

In India, Mango Shrikhand is called Aamrakhand ("aam" meaning "mango")and is made slightly differently. Once you have made the base shrikhand, you fold in some coarsely blended mango puree. This Aamrakhand stays in the freezer for months; in fact, it tastes better with age. Try it!

I'm really lucky in that I have an Indian grocery store (well 4) just a five minute walk from my flat. They sell boxes of alphonso mangoes for really cheap when they are in season. The shrikhand looks lovely, light and fresh.

I don't know whether I've ever tried this variety of mango before. Will look for it next time I visit the Indian market - thanks for the tip! And the recipe looks delicious, I love cardamon in dessert!

I don't think I've ever seen alphonso mangoes in Calgary... maybe I just haven't looked in the right places. But now I have great motivation to find them because this looks like a fantastic afternoon snack. I just love fruit on yogurt. For as much as I bake, I ahve to say fruits are my favourite sweet treat, just like Mother Nature intended!

u have me drooling bad here,for srikhand is my favorite thing to eat!! Alphonsos are a real treat here, but in USA I have never seen a fresh one. I miss them so bad. I did make a caramelized mango srikhand before....really one has to taste it only to get hooked to it!

Bravo! Your shrikhand looks every bit like the ones we make:)! I have been on an alphonso diet since the last month, and came here while looking for some new recipes to use up some mangoes in ways other than ice cream and tarts!

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About Me

I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.